Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the study patients.
| Characteristics | Intervention group (n = 118) | Control group (n = 122) |
|---|---|---|
| Demography | ||
| Mean (SD) age (years) | 70 (10) | 71 (10) |
| Male | 78 (66%) | 96 (79%) |
| Living alone | 23 (20%) | 21 (17%) |
| CHF | ||
| Aetiology of CHF: ischaemia | 60% | 65% |
| Prior admissions for CHF | 48% | 51% |
| Mean LVEF | 31% | 31% |
| Systolic dysfunction | 98% | 98% |
| Diastolic dysfunction | 34% | 30% |
| NYHA III | 98% | 95% |
| NYHA IV | 2% | 5% |
| Comorbidity* | ||
| Ischaemic heart disease | 60% | 55% |
| Myocardial infarction | 53% | 56% |
| Current angina | 15% | 16% |
| Prior stroke | 11% | 9% |
| PTCA/CABG | 14%/20% | 16/27% |
| Atrial fibrillation | 25% | 28% |
| Pacemaker | 10% | 7% |
| Hypertension | 39% | 43% |
| COPD | 29% | 28% |
| Current smoker/ex‐smoker | 12%/54% | 14%/52% |
| Diabetes mellitus | 31% | 28% |
| Anaemia | 21% | 12% |
| Hypercholesterolaemia | 54% | 43% |
| Laboratory values | ||
| NT‐proBNP (pmol/l)(pg/ml)†‡ | 262/2216 | 244/2064 |
| Erythropoietin (mU/ml) | 24 | 26 |
| Haemoglobin (mmol/l) | 8.4 | 8.4 |
| hs‐CRP (mg/l) | 11.5 | 13.7 |
| Potassium (mmol/l) | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| Creatinine (μmol/l ) | 123 | 130 |
| Microalbumin:creatinine ratio (mg/mmol) | 23 | 20 |
| Blood urea nitrogen (mmol/l) | 11 | 11 |
| Mean systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 123 | 125 |
| Mean diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 73 | 76 |
| Mean heart rate (bpm) | 79 | 78 |
| Medication at entry | ||
| Diuretics | 97% | 96% |
| ACE inhibitor | 84% | 88% |
| ARB | 14% | 8% |
| β‐blocker | 60% | 69% |
| Spironolactone | 36% | 30% |
| Long‐acting nitrate | 19% | 17% |
| Digoxin | 23% | 27% |
| Anticoagulant agents | 62% | 67% |
| Acetyl salicylic acid | 31% | 23% |
| Statins | 44% | 33% |
| NSAIDs | 3% | 5% |
ACE, angiotensin‐converting enzyme; ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker; CABG, coronary artery bypass graft; CHF, congestive heart failure; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CRP, C‐reactive protein; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; NSAIDs, non‐steroid anti‐inflammatory drugs; NT‐proBNP, N‐terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide; NYHA, New York Heart Association; PTCA, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.
*More than one item possible.
†Values are medians.
‡To convert from pmol/l to pg/ml, multiply by 8.457.